Data Centers & Politics of Technology

This is well worth watching.

Yasha had this guy on back in the beginning of the year – Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech. This is a good talk about the growing politics of technology.

Merchant does a good job explaining that just like the Luddites at the beginning and the Populists at the end of the 19th century, this isn't about simplistic 21st century anti-technology notions, but concerns increasingly important questions on what, how, or if any given technology should be implemented. Who pays the costs and who reaps the benefits?

Most importantly, it is quickly becoming an issue representing for all established political stripes awareness of the majority's rapidly growing political and economic disenfranchisement.

Along with this, the FT has a good, not to mention it's about time, piece – The multiplying risks of financing data centres,

"If the data centre bubble pops, the places where they have set up shop — states such as Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin — could be left with bruising economic consequences."

"Communities could be left with vast white elephants in their backyards, the costs of which could filter into monthly utility bills for retail customers. Localities that offered data centres generous tax incentives could find a glaring hole in their coffers."

And that's the FT.